Sing psalms to standing bass

Ike Sturm and his ensemble will set hymns to new music. (Courtesy of Ike Sturm)

Thursday May 17, 2012

LENOX -- The 23rd Psalm sung to a jazz beat will fill the 144-year-old Roman esque sanctuary of Trinity Episcopal Church in an in novative vesper service at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

What is believed to be the first vesper in the church's history is an extension of the parish's outreach ministry, welcoming new worshippers. Admission will be free, thanks to an anonymous gift from a parishioner.

For at least an hour, Ike Sturm and a jazz ensemble dedicated to spreading the gospel will play music set to biblical texts and lead the congregation in song and prayer.

Sturm, music director for the Jazz Ministry at Saint Peter's Lutheran Church in New York City, promised to play well-known melodies with creative harmony, swinging rhythms and improvisations.

"We will also ask folks to join in on refrains for the Magnificat and new Psalm settings. Granting creative liberty to the musicians allows a response to God's Spirit and the environment surrounding us," he said.

The program also calls for playing "Shine," "The King of Love My Shepherd Is," "Love Has Come," "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."

Sturm, a bassist, composer and bandleader, will lead musicians playing guitar, vib raphone, and drums, and two vocalists, Chanda Rule and Sturm's wife, Misty Ann Sturm. A native of Ap pleton, Wis., Ike Sturm went to New York after graduating from the Eastman School of Music in Roch esster, N.Y. At St. Peter's his ensemble performs a monthly Jazz Mass and Vespers.

Advertisement

The group has been developing music with sacred texts for nearly a decade.

The combo will come to Lenox at the invitation of The Rev. Dr. Randy Wil burn, Trinity's interim rector, who introduced Sunday jazz vespers when he was rector of a church in San Jose, Calif.

This program is not out of the prayer book or tradition, Willurn explained.

"The songs are prayers for community and peace and healing in the world. Some of the program will be rather rousing and moving, and other parts will be very lyric and beautiful. Music can speak to all of us, each in our own dialect," he said.

Reggie Cooper, Trinity's senior warden, said the jazz vesper marks an expansion of Trinity's musical footprint in the Berkshires.

"We hope to attract people to jazz vespers who have never been here for a classical concert or more traditional service," Cooper said. "We hope they will come from all segments of the community, regardless of their beliefs or affiliation."

Gail Street, longtime chair of Trinity's outreach committee, said the vespers service is part of Trinity's community programming, which allows musicians and singers to perform in the sanctuary.

Welcome to your discussion forum: Click the login link below to sign in with or to set up a Disqus account or to access your social networking account. When you do, your comment should be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (What are the guidelines?.) Report abuse by flagging a comment (mouse over the comment). Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Berkshire Eagle. So keep it civil.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The death of actor Leonard Nimoy last week has inspired people to post photos on social media of marked-up five-dollar Canadian banknotes that show former prime minister Wilfrid Laurier transformed to resemble Spock, Nimoy's famous "Star Trek" character. Full Story